US20090184563A1 - Method of Breaking Brittle Solids - Google Patents
Method of Breaking Brittle Solids Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20090184563A1 US20090184563A1 US11/991,710 US99171006A US2009184563A1 US 20090184563 A1 US20090184563 A1 US 20090184563A1 US 99171006 A US99171006 A US 99171006A US 2009184563 A1 US2009184563 A1 US 2009184563A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- boring
- reactive materials
- solid material
- bore holes
- oxide
- Prior art date
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- Granted
Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims abstract description 44
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 title 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 40
- 239000011343 solid material Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 38
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 37
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 14
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 claims description 23
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 claims description 19
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N water Substances O XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 16
- MHAJPDPJQMAIIY-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen peroxide Chemical group OO MHAJPDPJQMAIIY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 15
- UQSXHKLRYXJYBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N iron oxide Inorganic materials [Fe]=O UQSXHKLRYXJYBZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 13
- 229910044991 metal oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 9
- 150000004706 metal oxides Chemical class 0.000 claims description 9
- QPLDLSVMHZLSFG-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper oxide Chemical compound [Cu]=O QPLDLSVMHZLSFG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- QDOXWKRWXJOMAK-UHFFFAOYSA-N dichromium trioxide Chemical compound O=[Cr]O[Cr]=O QDOXWKRWXJOMAK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- 230000000977 initiatory effect Effects 0.000 claims description 8
- NUJOXMJBOLGQSY-UHFFFAOYSA-N manganese dioxide Chemical compound O=[Mn]=O NUJOXMJBOLGQSY-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 8
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 claims description 8
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 8
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000000203 mixture Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- NDLPOXTZKUMGOV-UHFFFAOYSA-N oxo(oxoferriooxy)iron hydrate Chemical compound O.O=[Fe]O[Fe]=O NDLPOXTZKUMGOV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 7
- GWEVSGVZZGPLCZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Titan oxide Chemical compound O=[Ti]=O GWEVSGVZZGPLCZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 5
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N tin dioxide Chemical compound O=[Sn]=O XOLBLPGZBRYERU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 5
- 229960004643 cupric oxide Drugs 0.000 claims description 4
- SZVJSHCCFOBDDC-UHFFFAOYSA-N iron(II,III) oxide Inorganic materials O=[Fe]O[Fe]O[Fe]=O SZVJSHCCFOBDDC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- YOBAEOGBNPPUQV-UHFFFAOYSA-N iron;trihydrate Chemical compound O.O.O.[Fe].[Fe] YOBAEOGBNPPUQV-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 4
- FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N Magnesium Chemical compound [Mg] FYYHWMGAXLPEAU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 239000011777 magnesium Substances 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910052749 magnesium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 3
- DGAQECJNVWCQMB-PUAWFVPOSA-M Ilexoside XXIX Chemical compound C[C@@H]1CC[C@@]2(CC[C@@]3(C(=CC[C@H]4[C@]3(CC[C@@H]5[C@@]4(CC[C@@H](C5(C)C)OS(=O)(=O)[O-])C)C)[C@@H]2[C@]1(C)O)C)C(=O)O[C@H]6[C@@H]([C@H]([C@@H]([C@H](O6)CO)O)O)O.[Na+] DGAQECJNVWCQMB-PUAWFVPOSA-M 0.000 claims 2
- ZLMJMSJWJFRBEC-UHFFFAOYSA-N Potassium Chemical compound [K] ZLMJMSJWJFRBEC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 claims 2
- 229910052700 potassium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims 2
- 239000011591 potassium Substances 0.000 claims 2
- 229910052708 sodium Inorganic materials 0.000 claims 2
- 239000011734 sodium Substances 0.000 claims 2
- 239000004408 titanium dioxide Substances 0.000 claims 2
- 239000003832 thermite Substances 0.000 description 12
- 239000002360 explosive Substances 0.000 description 11
- 239000011435 rock Substances 0.000 description 9
- XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Iron Chemical compound [Fe] XEEYBQQBJWHFJM-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 8
- 229910052742 iron Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N Hydrogen Chemical compound [H][H] UFHFLCQGNIYNRP-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000000354 decomposition reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005553 drilling Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000004880 explosion Methods 0.000 description 2
- -1 for example Chemical class 0.000 description 2
- XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-ZSJDYOACSA-N heavy water Substances [2H]O[2H] XLYOFNOQVPJJNP-ZSJDYOACSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 229910001338 liquidmetal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 238000010297 mechanical methods and process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 231100000252 nontoxic Toxicity 0.000 description 2
- 230000003000 nontoxic effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- TWNQGVIAIRXVLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N oxo(oxoalumanyloxy)alumane Chemical compound O=[Al]O[Al]=O TWNQGVIAIRXVLR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 239000002245 particle Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000002341 toxic gas Substances 0.000 description 2
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000009412 basement excavation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005422 blasting Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229910052593 corundum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 238000005520 cutting process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000006073 displacement reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000006260 foam Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003517 fume Substances 0.000 description 1
- 231100001261 hazardous Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 239000001257 hydrogen Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052739 hydrogen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000003116 impacting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000002347 injection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000007924 injection Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005065 mining Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010517 secondary reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012163 sequencing technique Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000010008 shearing Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000035939 shock Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000002689 soil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 231100000331 toxic Toxicity 0.000 description 1
- 230000002588 toxic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009424 underpinning Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000009834 vaporization Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000008016 vaporization Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910001845 yogo sapphire Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
- F42D—BLASTING
- F42D3/00—Particular applications of blasting techniques
- F42D3/04—Particular applications of blasting techniques for rock blasting
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
- C06B—EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES
- C06B23/00—Compositions characterised by non-explosive or non-thermic constituents
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
- C06B—EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES
- C06B27/00—Compositions containing a metal, boron, silicon, selenium or tellurium or mixtures, intercompounds or hydrides thereof, and hydrocarbons or halogenated hydrocarbons
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
- C06B—EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES
- C06B33/00—Compositions containing particulate metal, alloy, boron, silicon, selenium or tellurium with at least one oxygen supplying material which is either a metal oxide or a salt, organic or inorganic, capable of yielding a metal oxide
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
- C06B—EXPLOSIVES OR THERMIC COMPOSITIONS; MANUFACTURE THEREOF; USE OF SINGLE SUBSTANCES AS EXPLOSIVES
- C06B43/00—Compositions characterised by explosive or thermic constituents not provided for in groups C06B25/00 - C06B41/00
-
- C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
- C06—EXPLOSIVES; MATCHES
- C06D—MEANS FOR GENERATING SMOKE OR MIST; GAS-ATTACK COMPOSITIONS; GENERATION OF GAS FOR BLASTING OR PROPULSION (CHEMICAL PART)
- C06D5/00—Generation of pressure gas, e.g. for blasting cartridges, starting cartridges, rockets
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B3/00—Rotary drilling
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21B—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS
- E21B7/00—Special methods or apparatus for drilling
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E21—EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; MINING
- E21C—MINING OR QUARRYING
- E21C37/00—Other methods or devices for dislodging with or without loading
- E21C37/16—Other methods or devices for dislodging with or without loading by fire-setting or by similar methods based on a heat effect
Definitions
- the present invention relates to fracturing solid materials in general and to a method of fracturing rocks and concrete by containing an exothermic expansive reacting within a bore hole in particular.
- Such solid material may be rock or concrete in the fields of mining, civil engineering or demolition work for example. Methods of fracturing such materials have typically been either mechanical or chemical.
- Mechanical methods of rock breaking may include, hammering or impacting the solid material, for example with a jack hammer. Mechanical methods may also include cutting or shearing, applying pressure by wedges as well as any means of applying a shock to the solid material. Chemical methods have typically relied on a chemical reaction within a cavity or bore of the solid material to produce a large amount of pressure within the bore. This pressure serves to fracture the solid material between the bore and a free surface. Chemical methods typically include the use of explosives for most large scale operations. Chemical methods may also include the injection of an expanding foam into the bore holes or other suitable pressure producing methods.
- the chemical methods of fracturing solid materials are typically preferred for a variety of reasons.
- Chemical methods such as explosives, enable a large number of bore holes to be filled and exploded at the same time. This enables a large volume of solid material to be fractured at a single event.
- the volume of solid material fractured may be further multiplied.
- Efficiency in blasting operations is typically measured in terms of the amount of labor, equipment and materials required to break a volume of material. Explosive techniques tend to be efficient due to the ability to bore a large number of bore holes which may be fractured during a single event.
- Thermite is a known chemical composition consisting of a mixture of particles of a metal oxide, such as for example, FeO, Iron (II)Oxide or Ferrous Oxide and a reactive metal, such as for example, aluminum.
- a metal oxide such as for example, FeO, Iron (II)Oxide or Ferrous Oxide
- a reactive metal such as for example, aluminum.
- Thermite is an exothermic reactive material that will chemically react with itself once initiated thereby producing aluminum oxide and free elemental iron, for example, as well as releasing a large amount of heat.
- Thermite has been proposed for use in breaking or fracturing solid material in U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,750 to Jae et al. Jae et al. however applies thermite into a bore hole on the end of a rod or stinger.
- the stinger of Jae et al. includes electrodes which serve to initiate the reaction of the thermite. As Jae et al. applies the thermite to the end of a stinger, only a single bore hole may be fractured at a time. Accordingly, Jae et al. is not capable of fracturing a large volume of solid material during a single event, and does not therefore achieve the efficiency advantages of typical explosive methods.
- What is desirable is a method of fracturing rock by pressure that is applicable to a plurality of bore holes simultaneously wherein the pressure is developed and applied slow enough so as to diminish flying debris, air blast, ground vibration and excessive noise.
- the present invention provides a method of fracturing solid material using a thermite reaction in a plurality of sealed bore holes.
- a method for fracturing a solid material comprises boring at least one bore hole in the solid material, the bore hole having a bottom and an open top and introducing into said at least one bore hole reactive materials capable of an exothermic reaction to produce a liquid and a gas.
- the method further includes sealably enclosing said bore hole at said open top and initiating the exothermic reaction to produce the liquid and the gas.
- kits for fracturing a solid material comprising reactive materials capable of an exothermic reaction to produce a liquid and a gas, and an igniter for initiating the reaction.
- FIG. 1 is an elevation cross section of a body of solid material having a bore hole according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
- FIG. 2 is a plan view of a plurality of bore holes located in the body of FIG. 1 .
- the solid material has a top surface 12 and a free surface 14 .
- the free surface 14 has a top edge 16 and a bottom edge 18 .
- the solid material may comprise rock, hard packed soil, concrete or any other solid material that is desired to be fractured for removal.
- the solid material may also have an adjacent surface 22 extending from the bottom edge 18 of the free surface 14 .
- the adjacent surface 22 may also be substantially parallel to the top surface 12 .
- the bore hole 10 may be positioned substantially parallel to said free surface 14 by a distance indicated by arrow 20 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . In other embodiments, the bore hole 10 may be angularly aligned relative to the free surface 14 .
- the bore hole 10 comprises an elongate bore having a bottom 24 and an open top 26 . According to the method of the present invention, the bore hole 10 is substantially filled with reactive materials 30 capable of exothermically reacting to produce a liquid and a gas.
- At least one of the reactive materials 30 may comprise a mixture of a metal oxide and a reactive metal commonly known as thermite.
- the metal oxide and reactive metal are typically combined in powdered form.
- the metal oxide may comprise ferrous ferric oxide (Fe 3 O 4 ), ferric oxide (Fe 2 O 3 ), cupric oxide (CuO), stannic oxide (SnO 2 ), titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ), manganese dioxide (MnO 2 ) or chromium sesquioxide (Cr 2 O 3 ) for example. It will be appreciated that other metal oxides will also be useful.
- Another of the reactive materials 30 may comprise a gas producing substance operable to release a gas when heated.
- the gas producing substance may comprise water, hydrogen peroxide or any other suitable substance.
- the gas released may preferably be a non-toxic gas such as gaseous water vapor or oxygen for example.
- the open top 26 is then sealably closed with a plug 15 through which an ignition means may be inserted.
- the plug may comprise an expanding concrete, polymer, an expanding body engaging the walls of the bore hole interlocking particles of a material such as gravel or any other suitable means.
- Plugs 15 are designed or selected so as to adequately resist the pressures developed within the bore holes. The methods of calculating the required strength and dimensions of such a plug are well known in the art, for example as provided in the US Federal Highway Administration Report FHWA-RD-75-128 , Lateral Support Systems and Underpinning , Vol 1 , Design and Construction.
- the ignition means 32 may be emplaced in the bore hole 10 before, during or after the reactive materials 30 are introduced into the bore hole 10 and before during or after the plug 15 is emplaced.
- the ignition means 32 may be capable of being initiated in a manner such that a person initiating the reaction is at a safe distance from the bore hole 10 .
- the ignition means 32 may, for example, be a fuse burning at a particular rate, such as a length of magnesium wire or an electric igniter, however it will be appreciated that other ignition means are also possible.
- the ignition means may comprise two or more parts such, for example, a fuse burning at a particular rate which in turn ignites a chemical charge embedded in the reactive materials. The chemical charge may then initiate the exothermic reaction in the reactive materials.
- the resulting product when using a mixture Fe 2 O 3 or Ferrous Ferric Oxide and Aluminum as one of the reactive materials, the resulting product will be liquid iron and Aluminum Oxide.
- the use of other initial compositions will have products similarly related to the starting components.
- Such an exothermic reaction produces a sufficiently high enough temperature within the bore hole 10 that the water decomposes to water and hydrogen. Accordingly, two of the products of the reaction are a gas, for example oxygen, and a liquid metal, for example iron.
- the chemical reaction according to this example is as follows:
- Such a reaction may produce temperatures of up to 3500° C.
- the temperatures generated may be enhanced due to the enclosing of the reaction within the bore holes 10 .
- the gas released by the gas producing substance may preferably be a non-toxic gas such as gaseous water vapor or oxygen for example.
- a non-toxic gas such as gaseous water vapor or oxygen for example.
- the released gas will be water vapour which is vapourized due to the large amount of heat generated during the thermite reaction.
- the use of water may also advantageously produce a secondary reaction between the molten aluminum and the water vapor according to the following reaction:
- hydrogen peroxide or H 2 O 2 may also be utilized during the present method.
- the use of hydrogen peroxide results in the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide when heated by the thermite reaction according to the following reaction:
- the gas produced by the current method will have a volume greater than that occupied by the water. Consequently the pressure within the sealed bore hole 10 will be raised until a sufficient pressure is developed so as to fracture the surrounding solid material. When fractures are formed, the liquid metal will flow into these fractures thereby coming into contact with the cooler surrounding material. The liquid iron will then solidify thereby resealing the fractures and bore hole 10 so that further fractures may be formed until such time as the surrounding material is sufficiently fractured so as to permit removal by conventional means. It will be appreciated that the amount of thermite and water used, for example in each bore hole may be varied so as to produce a an amount of pressure within the bore hole so as to fracture the surrounding solid material. Methods of calculating the burst pressure of rock and other materials are well known in the art. Accordingly, calculations may be used to determine the relative amounts of thermite and water, for example, required to generate the required pressure within the bore hole.
- FIG. 2 a drilling pattern for a plurality of bore holes in a body of solid material 8 is shown.
- 5 bore holes 10 are shown in first and second staggered rows generally indicated by 40 and 42 , respectively. It will be appreciated that other arrangements will be possible such as wherein the columns of the rows are aligned, for example.
- FIG. 2 shows a possible arrangement for successively initiating the reaction of first, second and third stages 44 , 46 and 48 , respectively of bore holes.
- the reaction in the first stage 44 will fracture the solid material extending from the bore hole 10 in a wedge shape to the free surface. Thereafter the reaction may be initiated in the second stage 46 thereby fracturing the solid material indicated by the lines 50 .
- Such a sequencing of bore holes 10 is known in the art when using explosives.
- Such sequenced bore holes 10 may be arranged in an array distributed across the top surface 12 of the solid material 8 of FIG. 1 . It will be appreciated that the bore holes may also be distributed across any surface, such as for example a non-horizontal surface so as to fracture the rock towards a free surface.
- the array may be arranged such that the columns and rows are in alignment or such individual bore holes in alternate rows are located at positions adjacent to spaces between bore holes in adjacent rows. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that other known arrangements for the array may be selected so as to achieve the desired results.
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- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
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- Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
- Fluid Mechanics (AREA)
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Abstract
Description
- 1. Field of Invention
- The present invention relates to fracturing solid materials in general and to a method of fracturing rocks and concrete by containing an exothermic expansive reacting within a bore hole in particular.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- It is often desirable to fracture or break large bodies of solid materials into more manageable sizes for transportation and further processing. Such solid material may be rock or concrete in the fields of mining, civil engineering or demolition work for example. Methods of fracturing such materials have typically been either mechanical or chemical.
- Mechanical methods of rock breaking may include, hammering or impacting the solid material, for example with a jack hammer. Mechanical methods may also include cutting or shearing, applying pressure by wedges as well as any means of applying a shock to the solid material. Chemical methods have typically relied on a chemical reaction within a cavity or bore of the solid material to produce a large amount of pressure within the bore. This pressure serves to fracture the solid material between the bore and a free surface. Chemical methods typically include the use of explosives for most large scale operations. Chemical methods may also include the injection of an expanding foam into the bore holes or other suitable pressure producing methods.
- The chemical methods of fracturing solid materials are typically preferred for a variety of reasons. Chemical methods, such as explosives, enable a large number of bore holes to be filled and exploded at the same time. This enables a large volume of solid material to be fractured at a single event. In addition, through timing of the explosions successively within an array of bore holes, the volume of solid material fractured may be further multiplied. The ability to fracture large volumes of material at a time leads to significant efficiency advantages. Efficiency in blasting operations is typically measured in terms of the amount of labor, equipment and materials required to break a volume of material. Explosive techniques tend to be efficient due to the ability to bore a large number of bore holes which may be fractured during a single event.
- The use of explosives however has a number of disadvantages, many of which primarily result from the speed of the chemical reaction within the explosive material. As the explosive reaction is completed during a period of several milliseconds, the material surrounding the bore hole does not have sufficient time to expand, resulting in shattering of the material followed by displacement. This shattering of the material results in pieces of solid material that are no longer attached to any surrounding material and are briefly subjected to the violent expulsive force of the explosion. Accompanying this reaction is therefore a large amount of noise, flying debris, ground and air vibration and possible toxic fumes from the explosives themselves.
- In addition, the use of explosives also increases the hazards of the excavation due to any possible unexploded material. If such unexploded material is lodged in the surrounding unfractured rock, it may be subject to being ignited by subsequent drilling operations. In addition, any unexploded material entrained with the fractured material may cause damage or danger to workers during subsequent collection and processing of the material. It will also be appreciated that due to the hazardous nature of explosives, specialized personnel are required to handle operate and oversee these operations.
- Thermite is a known chemical composition consisting of a mixture of particles of a metal oxide, such as for example, FeO, Iron (II)Oxide or Ferrous Oxide and a reactive metal, such as for example, aluminum. Thermite is an exothermic reactive material that will chemically react with itself once initiated thereby producing aluminum oxide and free elemental iron, for example, as well as releasing a large amount of heat.
- Thermite has been proposed for use in breaking or fracturing solid material in U.S. Pat. No. 5,773,750 to Jae et al. Jae et al. however applies thermite into a bore hole on the end of a rod or stinger. The stinger of Jae et al. includes electrodes which serve to initiate the reaction of the thermite. As Jae et al. applies the thermite to the end of a stinger, only a single bore hole may be fractured at a time. Accordingly, Jae et al. is not capable of fracturing a large volume of solid material during a single event, and does not therefore achieve the efficiency advantages of typical explosive methods.
- What is desirable is a method of fracturing rock by pressure that is applicable to a plurality of bore holes simultaneously wherein the pressure is developed and applied slow enough so as to diminish flying debris, air blast, ground vibration and excessive noise.
- The present invention provides a method of fracturing solid material using a thermite reaction in a plurality of sealed bore holes.
- According to a first embodiment of the present invention, there is provided method for fracturing a solid material. The method comprises boring at least one bore hole in the solid material, the bore hole having a bottom and an open top and introducing into said at least one bore hole reactive materials capable of an exothermic reaction to produce a liquid and a gas. The method further includes sealably enclosing said bore hole at said open top and initiating the exothermic reaction to produce the liquid and the gas.
- According to a further embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a kit for fracturing a solid material. The kit comprises reactive materials capable of an exothermic reaction to produce a liquid and a gas, and an igniter for initiating the reaction.
- Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures.
-
FIG. 1 is an elevation cross section of a body of solid material having a bore hole according to a first embodiment of the present invention. -
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a plurality of bore holes located in the body ofFIG. 1 . - Referring to
FIG. 1 , abore hole 10 for fracturing a body ofsolid material 8 according to a first embodiment of the invention is shown. The solid material has atop surface 12 and afree surface 14. Thefree surface 14 has atop edge 16 and abottom edge 18. The solid material may comprise rock, hard packed soil, concrete or any other solid material that is desired to be fractured for removal. The solid material may also have anadjacent surface 22 extending from thebottom edge 18 of thefree surface 14. Theadjacent surface 22 may also be substantially parallel to thetop surface 12. - The
bore hole 10 may be positioned substantially parallel to saidfree surface 14 by a distance indicated byarrow 20 in the embodiment shown inFIG. 1 . In other embodiments, thebore hole 10 may be angularly aligned relative to thefree surface 14. Thebore hole 10 comprises an elongate bore having abottom 24 and anopen top 26. According to the method of the present invention, thebore hole 10 is substantially filled withreactive materials 30 capable of exothermically reacting to produce a liquid and a gas. - At least one of the
reactive materials 30 may comprise a mixture of a metal oxide and a reactive metal commonly known as thermite. The metal oxide and reactive metal are typically combined in powdered form. The metal oxide may comprise ferrous ferric oxide (Fe3O4), ferric oxide (Fe2O3), cupric oxide (CuO), stannic oxide (SnO2), titanium dioxide (TiO2), manganese dioxide (MnO2) or chromium sesquioxide (Cr2O3) for example. It will be appreciated that other metal oxides will also be useful. Another of thereactive materials 30 may comprise a gas producing substance operable to release a gas when heated. The gas producing substance may comprise water, hydrogen peroxide or any other suitable substance. The gas released may preferably be a non-toxic gas such as gaseous water vapor or oxygen for example. - The open top 26 is then sealably closed with a
plug 15 through which an ignition means may be inserted. The plug may comprise an expanding concrete, polymer, an expanding body engaging the walls of the bore hole interlocking particles of a material such as gravel or any other suitable means.Plugs 15 are designed or selected so as to adequately resist the pressures developed within the bore holes. The methods of calculating the required strength and dimensions of such a plug are well known in the art, for example as provided in the US Federal Highway Administration Report FHWA-RD-75-128, Lateral Support Systems and Underpinning,Vol 1, Design and Construction. - An exothermic reaction in the
reactive materials 30 is then initiated by the ignition means 32. The ignition means 32 may be emplaced in thebore hole 10 before, during or after thereactive materials 30 are introduced into thebore hole 10 and before during or after theplug 15 is emplaced. The ignition means 32 may be capable of being initiated in a manner such that a person initiating the reaction is at a safe distance from thebore hole 10. The ignition means 32 may, for example, be a fuse burning at a particular rate, such as a length of magnesium wire or an electric igniter, however it will be appreciated that other ignition means are also possible. The ignition means may comprise two or more parts such, for example, a fuse burning at a particular rate which in turn ignites a chemical charge embedded in the reactive materials. The chemical charge may then initiate the exothermic reaction in the reactive materials. - By way of example, when using a mixture Fe2O3 or Ferrous Ferric Oxide and Aluminum as one of the reactive materials, the resulting product will be liquid iron and Aluminum Oxide. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that the use of other initial compositions will have products similarly related to the starting components. Such an exothermic reaction produces a sufficiently high enough temperature within the
bore hole 10 that the water decomposes to water and hydrogen. Accordingly, two of the products of the reaction are a gas, for example oxygen, and a liquid metal, for example iron. The chemical reaction according to this example is as follows: -
Fe2O3(s)+2Al(s)→Al2O3(l)+2Fe(l); ΔH=−851.5 KJ/mol - Such a reaction may produce temperatures of up to 3500° C. The temperatures generated may be enhanced due to the enclosing of the reaction within the bore holes 10.
- The gas released by the gas producing substance may preferably be a non-toxic gas such as gaseous water vapor or oxygen for example. When water, for example is used, the released gas will be water vapour which is vapourized due to the large amount of heat generated during the thermite reaction. The use of water may also advantageously produce a secondary reaction between the molten aluminum and the water vapor according to the following reaction:
-
2Al+6H2O→2Al(OH)3+3H2 - to produce additional hydrogen gas thereby further raising the pressure in the bore holes. In addition, hydrogen peroxide or H2O2 may also be utilized during the present method. The use of hydrogen peroxide results in the decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide when heated by the thermite reaction according to the following reaction:
-
2H2O2→2H2O+O2 - It will be appreciated that the oxygen and water vapor produced by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide will produce a greater volume of gas than that of the water vaporization alone and will therefore result in a larger pressure developed within the bore hole.
- The gas produced by the current method will have a volume greater than that occupied by the water. Consequently the pressure within the sealed
bore hole 10 will be raised until a sufficient pressure is developed so as to fracture the surrounding solid material. When fractures are formed, the liquid metal will flow into these fractures thereby coming into contact with the cooler surrounding material. The liquid iron will then solidify thereby resealing the fractures and borehole 10 so that further fractures may be formed until such time as the surrounding material is sufficiently fractured so as to permit removal by conventional means. It will be appreciated that the amount of thermite and water used, for example in each bore hole may be varied so as to produce a an amount of pressure within the bore hole so as to fracture the surrounding solid material. Methods of calculating the burst pressure of rock and other materials are well known in the art. Accordingly, calculations may be used to determine the relative amounts of thermite and water, for example, required to generate the required pressure within the bore hole. - Now referring to
FIG. 2 , a drilling pattern for a plurality of bore holes in a body ofsolid material 8 is shown. As shown inFIG. 2 , 5 bore holes 10 are shown in first and second staggered rows generally indicated by 40 and 42, respectively. It will be appreciated that other arrangements will be possible such as wherein the columns of the rows are aligned, for example. - When a method of the present invention fractures rock, the majority of the material that is fractured from a
single bore hole 10 will be in the form of a wedge shape extending from the bore hole as indicated at 42 inFIG. 2 for afirst stage 44bore hole 10. The initiation of the reaction within the bore holes 10 may also be sequenced so as to remove successive layers of solid material into the body.FIG. 2 shows a possible arrangement for successively initiating the reaction of first, second andthird stages first stage 44 will fracture the solid material extending from thebore hole 10 in a wedge shape to the free surface. Thereafter the reaction may be initiated in thesecond stage 46 thereby fracturing the solid material indicated by thelines 50. Thereafter the reaction may be initiated in the third stage bore holes 48 thereby fracturing the solid material indicated by thelines 52. Such a sequencing of bore holes 10 is known in the art when using explosives. Such sequenced bore holes 10 may be arranged in an array distributed across thetop surface 12 of thesolid material 8 ofFIG. 1 . It will be appreciated that the bore holes may also be distributed across any surface, such as for example a non-horizontal surface so as to fracture the rock towards a free surface. The array may be arranged such that the columns and rows are in alignment or such individual bore holes in alternate rows are located at positions adjacent to spaces between bore holes in adjacent rows. It will be appreciated by those of skill in the art that other known arrangements for the array may be selected so as to achieve the desired results. - While specific embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated, such embodiments should be considered illustrative of the invention only and not as limiting the invention as construed in accordance with the accompanying claims.
Claims (24)
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US11/991,710 US8205947B2 (en) | 2005-09-06 | 2006-09-06 | Method of breaking brittle solids |
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US71419505P | 2005-09-06 | 2005-09-06 | |
PCT/CA2006/001462 WO2007028238A1 (en) | 2005-09-06 | 2006-09-06 | Method of breaking brittle solids |
US11/991,710 US8205947B2 (en) | 2005-09-06 | 2006-09-06 | Method of breaking brittle solids |
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US20090184563A1 true US20090184563A1 (en) | 2009-07-23 |
US8205947B2 US8205947B2 (en) | 2012-06-26 |
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US (1) | US8205947B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA2621259C (en) |
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WO2018029248A1 (en) * | 2016-08-09 | 2018-02-15 | Bengtsson Jan Åke | A method of and a cartridge for disarming an unexploded blasting charge in a drill hole |
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SI2651855T1 (en) * | 2010-12-17 | 2016-12-30 | Rock Breaking Technology Co (Rob Tech) Ltd. | Rock and concrete breaking (demolition - fracturing - splitting) system |
RU2660862C1 (en) * | 2017-12-27 | 2018-07-10 | Общество с ограниченной ответственностью "Глобал Майнинг Эксплозив - Раша" | Thermite composition for destruction of oversized pieces of rock and non-metallic building structures |
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WO2002073120A1 (en) * | 2001-03-09 | 2002-09-19 | Brandrill Torrex (Proprietary) Limited | Mining method |
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- 2006-09-06 WO PCT/CA2006/001462 patent/WO2007028238A1/en active Application Filing
- 2006-09-06 US US11/991,710 patent/US8205947B2/en active Active
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Publication number | Publication date |
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GB2443590A (en) | 2008-05-07 |
CA2621259C (en) | 2014-04-01 |
US8205947B2 (en) | 2012-06-26 |
GB0804016D0 (en) | 2008-04-09 |
CA2621259A1 (en) | 2007-03-15 |
GB2443590B (en) | 2009-10-14 |
WO2007028238A1 (en) | 2007-03-15 |
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